Solidarity and Gender in African Literature

African literatures present a rich case-study, as decolonization led many writers to turn to literature as a form of solidarity building. Although solidarity writing makes up a crucial aspect of African literature it has not been the target of systematic scrutiny in literary studies, not least in connection to gender. The urgency of tackling gender’s role in solidarity- building is evident considering the populist rise in anti-gender movements. Drawing on decolonial and gender studies, and using close reading and contextualisation, the project undertakes a transhistorical, comparative analysis of the role of gender in literary imaginings of solidarity. It establishes continuities across solidarity writing extending from the Cold War and Apartheid to the recent context of the Arab Spring. It argues that formal and aesthetic aspects of literature are vital for understanding its political content. The project theorizes solidarity and gender by revealing the potentials and limits of and extending our existing lexicon.

Projektmål

The project examines the role of gender in African literary imaginings of solidarity focusing on three crises: the Cold War, Apartheid and the Arab Spring. It investigates literary forms (magazines, poetry, prose, life writing) associated with networks of solidarity in each crisis. African literatures present a rich case-study, as decolonization led many writers to turn to literature as a form of solidarity building.